The Nile : History's Greatest River
Author(s): Terje Tvedt
The greatest river in the world has a long and fascinating history. Professor Terje Tvedt, one of the world's leading experts on the history of waterways, travels upstream along the river's mouth to its sources. The result is a travelogue through 5000 years and 11 countries, from the Mediterranean to Central Africa. This is the fascinating story of the immense economic, political and mythical significance of the river. Brimming with accounts of central characters in the struggle for the Nile – from Caesar and Cleopatra, to Churchill and Mussolini, and on to the political leaders of today, The Nile is also the story of water as it nourished a civilization.
Review(s):
“In his vivid travelogue and cultural history, the Norwegian professor Terje Tvedt journeys from mouth to source, presenting a deluge of detail about the sediments of history, folklore and nature along the Nile's banks… Tvedt, switching effortlessly from history to reportage, also brings the Nile into the present with discursions on everything from Barack Obama's family origins in Kenya and George W Bush's role in South Sudan's gaining independence in 2011 to Idi Amin feeding human bodies to the crocodiles.” —New Statesman
“A fascinating insight into the lifeblood of Africa. Written with an extraordinary eye for detail and a wonderful blend of genres.” —Levison Wood - Explorer, Writer and Photographer
“Professor Tvedt's book is a love-letter to the Nile's history and a map of the future of the world's longest river.” —Judith Bunbury, author of The Nile and Ancient Egypt (2019)
“An expert weaver's tapestry of history, ecology, and politics on the world's greatest river. Lucky are the armchair travelers who join Terje Tvedt on this engaging odyssey up the Nile and across millennia.” —Dan Morrison, Author of The Black Nile (2010)
ISBN: 9780755616794